I’ve been looking at a lot of BIG circular saws for doing timber framing. The “Bigfoot” add on based on the Skil worm drive and others. This deal on the Milwaukee 6470-21 was just to good to pass up. List is $592. FREE UPS Next Day Air shipping! It comes with a STEEL case. This thing is a BEAST. Electronic brake, auto stop for 45 deg bevel with a push button override to go to 60 deg. FIVE YEAR warranty. Can’t wait to do some shoulder cuts on tenons and cross cuts for stock removal on the cheeks before chisel paring/planing. This coupled with a Prazi beam cutter on a Skil HD5865 8 1/4 worm drive and I think I’m just about good to go.

When I built my DIY TF back in the dark ages, I looked very seriously at the 10” Milwaukee. It’s a very well made saw and I think you’ll love it for the type of joinery work you described.

The key to these big saws, imho, is the base. And the Milwaukee has a good one.

I was fortunate enough to get a lot of advice and help from a “real” timber framer who had a 16” Makita that was tricked out with an oversized 1/4” aluminum saw base that kept the blade plumb to the base and allowed for accurate depth and angle settings. These bases were custom made buy a guy in the Timber Framers Guild and sold to a small number of his colleagues. Back in the day, timber framers were quite the eclectic niche and they were very helpfull and willing to share their knowledge and skill. This guy lent me his 16” Makita, a Holzer chain mortice and a 12” Makita power hand planer for several weeks. I cut the frame in 1/10th the time it would have taken otherwise.

I’ve since used two other 16” Makitas on multiple occasions and without the base upgrade, the saw is seriously lacking. It’s good for cross cutting timbers on horses to length and that’s about it. The base flexes under the significant weight of the saw and can’t hold square, let alone an angle. The last time I used one was when I build my pole barn 2.5 yrs ago. I was trimming a post while aloft and the base flexed, binding the blade and almost threw me :^O

I did wind up getting the 8” Milwaukee instead, and it has been my only CS till date. It has the same 15 amp motor as the 10” and you simply can’t kill it. Serious power! I’ve blind ripped hard wood 5×7 stock (rip, flip, and rip the other side), and it never so much as blinked.

We have two of them at work on our Rescue Trailers, one the older model, and the second the new model which you show here. Amongst other things, we teach firefighters Urban Search & Rescue type training and use these saws in our Structural Collapse and Trench Rescue courses. They get heavy use in cutting 4×4s, both cross cutting and ripping our wedges and shims.

The biggest issue in training firefighters to use them is that the initial impression is “This is just a circular saw, how difficult can it be?” They are just not expecting the power and torque these babies put out.

Our older saw had a pressed sheet steel shoe and the new one has what looks like a cast base. With the older one, we occasionally had to do some maintenance because the saw was dropped and the show got bent. No biggie. No such problems with the new model. I also like the forward grip on the new model better than the screw-on forward grip of the older one.

They get used and abused and just keep on cutting!

I cannot say enough good things about these saws. You will enjoy your saw.

“Why not just go for the 16” Mikita” Because I like to BUY AMERICAN anytime I can. Because Milwaukee has been tools used by me during my time working in the trades and I know of their quality/reliability. I have their deep cut VS Port-A- Band saw and it’s THEE FINEST on the planet! A Milwaukee 2 speed/VS Sawzall too. Often copied, never equalled. The shoe on the Makita I feel is way to small for the size of the saw. It’s also stamped steel. The shoe on the Milwaukee is 9” wide and 1/4” thick aluminum. The Milwaukee FIVE year warranty vs Makita’s ONE year was a factor as well. Do you get a steel case with Makita tools? NOPE.

““Why not just go for the 16” Mikita” Because I like to BUY AMERICAN” by BobM001

I bought a “Milwaukee Sawzall” exactly because, at the time (2010), it was the only recip saw made in the USA. Since then I bought a Milwaukee 1/2” drill and 1/4” impact driver combo and a Milwaukee cordless circular saw. Everything since the Sawzall was made in China. I seriously doubt there is a circular saw on the market today that is made in the USA.

I personally wish American companies could not market crap made in China under the same brand name as the American built products they built their reputation on. But, nobody asked me.

As far as that goes, Mikita tools used to be Japanese built products, but today they are also made in China. Might as well get used to it.

-- Michael: Hillary has a long list of accomplishments, though most DAs would refer to them as felonies.

Much to my chagrin on a small foil sticker on the motor reads:Milwaukee Electric Tool CorpBrookfield WI 53005 USAProfessionally Made in China byMilwaukee Electric Tool, PRC

SUMBITCH! Well. at least the profits come back here. I think I’m going to fire off a rather “terse” email to the “Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp USA” and tell them just what I think of their manufacturing policies as to “non disclosure”. I’m with you “Crank”. There oughta be a law that says point blank where items are made by USA companies. But I guess I’d be wasting electrons traveling through cyberspace. My 2004 Chevy PU was made in Canada while the engine was built in Silao, Mexico. Pardon my French but, FUCK A BUNCH O’ “GLOBAL ECONOMY”!

Bob, watch out for the Prazi. I bought one like the picture above around 16 years ago. Used it a couple times. You can propably do a better job with a real chain saw. The Prazi just left me feeling like I had a big hole in my pocket where my money used to be. It laid in my tool box in my old truck till I sold the truck. Good riddance. .

It’s a shame about the Millwaukees. I looked at buying a new Millwaukee cordless drill sometime in the 1980s. Sitting next to one was a Panasonic that looked identical except for the color. I looked at the tags on both, and both were made by Panasonic.

Beams saws, I’ve had one of those 16” Makitas for a long, long time. It has served me well. Cut a lot of timber roof trusses, beams for bridges, and exterior stair stringers with that thing. It looks nothing like the photo above. Mine is all metal, kinda gold in color, yes the shoe on the Makita is narrow. But all 16” saws I ever seen are the same. They’re that way for a reason, 16”s is a lot of blade spinnig.

If you live close by and you’re interested I have a 16” Ryobi beam saw I’ll part with cheap, real cheap, Like $35.00 cheap, about all it’s worth. It’s well used but still it works ok. Needs new brushes and has a steel blade, no carbide. You really need a 16” carbide tip blade on one of these and they aint cheap, $200.00 +range. You might find an 16” Irwin for $125-150.

Just out of curiousity what was your biggest issue with the Prazi? Mine hasn’t been used and if it has “issues” I can still return it in the original box. I’m afraid East Texas is a “fir piece” to travel for your saw. I appreciate your offer and comments. BTW, I won that 10 1/4 Milwaukee on eBay. New in the box for $224. My buddy’s commercial UPS account gets it shipped to me for $14. It’s a BEEEUTEEFUL thing! I know I can make at least a Ben Franklin if I sell it.

As for the cordless drills. I’ve tried ‘em all and I LOVE my 15.6V Panasonic. That 1/2” driver drill will bust your wrist in low gear.